Middleton district reaches agreement in same-sex classrooms case

The Middleton School District says it has reached an agreement with the federal government over the issue of separating boys and girls into different classrooms.

Superintendent Josh Middleton

Superintendent Josh Middleton, who is in his first year with the Canyon County district, said in a written statement that the district does not divide classrooms based on gender and has no plans to resume the practice.

On Wednesday, a U.S. Education Department spokesman said the Office of Civil Rights determined that the district violated the federal Title IX anti-discrimination law, regarding single-gender elementary school classes. The practice began in 2006 and continued until the end of the 2015-16 school year.

The district signed the agreement with the Office of Civil Rights on Oct. 31.

“The Middleton School District recently reached a resolution agreement with the (U.S. Department of Education’s) Office of Civil Rights regarding instruction in single-gender classrooms,” Middleton’s statement reads. “There are currently no single-gender classrooms nor is there any intention of having single-gender classes in the immediate future. The district acknowledges that if the practice was to be implemented again, OCR-approved training would be required. In the meantime, the outstanding educators of Middleton School District strive to meet and exceed its mission of ‘Every Child Learning Every Day.'”

Superintendent Middleton was out of the office sick on Wednesday and was not available for further comment. A receptionist answering the phone at the district office referred a reporter’s questions to him.